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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · prune · mark · arm · calf · key · bay · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. prune — to trim
  3. face — to point toward
  4. key — the most important part
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bound — obliged
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mark — a trace
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — part of the head
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mark — a grade
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. key — in music
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com